Drama
American
1995 · Directed by Todd Haynes · 119 min
Carol White lives a comfortable, orderly life as a homemaker in the San Fernando Valley in the late 1980s. Then her body starts to react badly to the world around her, and no one can say why. A cool, precise study of a woman and the spaces she moves through.
Why it matters in cinema history
A landmark of 1990s American independent cinema, Safe joined the art-film tradition of Antonioni and Akerman to the look of the suburban melodrama. It showed how a low-budget film could be formally rigorous and still disturb a wide audience.
Watch with intention
Watch how the film places Carol inside her surroundings: how big she is in the frame, and what fills the space around her.
Save this film, rate it and keep your notes.
Free, no ads. Your journal, your lists, a Cine Guide that remembers you.
Create your free space
